Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Mr. Nice Guy proving he’s not a pushover

Jim Zorn is a nice guy. Fellow coaches love him; players raved about their early dealings with him; the media has embraced him.
But does that mean he’ll get trampled upon once the season starts? How will he handle a player not wanting to practice most of training camp? Someone who’s initials, for example, are C.P.? Zorn says not to worry. He’s nice; he’s not a pushover.
“What people realize once they get around me and watch me coach is that I love to compete,” Zorn said. “I want to win. I’m not the type of person who, when you watch them on TV, you say, ‘I can’t believe he can do what he does.’ I haven’t excelled like that in a lot of things. But when I’m doing them you would think that’s what I aspire to because I compete. I’m highly competitive and I want to win.”
In spring workouts he barked at coaches to stay a certain distance from the line of scrimmage. He chastised some players for sloppy play. He took a swipe, albeit not a harsh one, at Shawn Springs for missing voluntary workouts.
His wife has told him that other coaches and players tell her he’s the most intense coach they’ve been around.
“A lot of coaches are feared,” Zorn said. “I don’t have the need to be feared. … I just want it to be right, so maybe those things [intensity] come out naturally.”
Others who have played with him in the past agree.
“The thing players will appreciate more than ever is that Jim is a no-BS guy,” said Steve Largent, the Hall of Fame receiver and former Zorn teammate in Seattle. “What you see is what you get. He’s going to call a spade a spade and he’ll do that with the players and with the press. He’s an absolute straight-shooter and he does it with compassion.”


O’s pitching is walking the tightrope

Even three games below .500, the Orioles are still gaining national respect. But whether or not they can sustain their good play remains to be seen.
The bullpen, a key to the solid play in the first half, will need more help the rest of the season. Namely from the starters, whose constant early exits have hurt the pen.
The bullpen, which has been the strength of the Orioles (45-48), suffered big blows with injuries to Jamie Walker and Matt Albers. The team also has been forced to rely more on relievers Jim Johnson (2-3, 2.03 ERA) and All-Star closer George Sherrill (28 saves, 4.08 ERA), which has taken its toll.
And the unit has been paramount to the team’s turnaround. Oriole relievers are 15-17 with a 3.48 ERA. Last season, they were 24-35 with a 5.71 ERA. The Orioles also are 17-12 in one-run games, compared to 13-31 last season.
“Such a shame the Orioles are in a division with those powerhouse Rays, and, oh by the way, the Red Sox and Yankees as well,” wrote Yahoo! Sports’ Steve Henson. “This has quietly become an excellent team six days a week. Inexplicably, the Orioles have lost [13] in a row on Sundays, having won on Sunday only on April 6, dragging them into fourth place.”


UP FOR DEBATE: The drama continues in Green Bay

JK » I’m tired of the Brett Favre drama. But he’s still good and coming off one of his best seasons (despite the ending). Which means his un-retirement is not foolish. If he still wants to play, and teams want him, then by all means come back — to the Pack.

DC » The Packers need to release him. If the greatest quarterback of all-time wants to keep playing — and he showed he can at his age — let him back onto the field, even if it’s in a different uniform. He might become the greatest free agent ever if his contact is terminated.

JK » Maybe. But there’s one question to ask: does he make the Packers better than Aaron Rodgers? That’s an easy yes. They already talked to him earlier about returning, so take him back as a starter.

DC » Packers GM Ted Thompson wanted Favre gone as soon as he got the job, drafting Rodgers in the first round. If Thompson wants no part of the Green Bay legend, don’t penalize Favre and fans of the NFL by keeping him off the field.


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Babe Ruth’s sweat stains are apparently worth nearly half a million dollars — mainly because they’re on a New York Yankees cap he used to wear. The cap, from the 1920s, sold at an auction of Yankees memorabilia for $328,000. According to published reports, the cap is one of three Yankee hats worn by Ruth still in existence. His last name plus first and middle initials (G, for George and H, for Herman) are stitched on the inside.

BY THE NUMBERS

69 » Length in feet of shot made by Memphis Grizzlies rookie O.J. Mayo to beat the first-quarter buzzer in a summer league game Monday.

30 » Day sentence in prison, most of which was served by Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw for probation violation. He was released Tuesday.


ON THE RECORD

“I offered Barry at the minimum salary, and when I ran into a brick wall, that’s when I came to the conclusion that he will not be in a major league uniform in 2008.”

— Barry Bonds’ agent Jeff Borris on his client returning this year.